Fashion Shoot Post #2 - Paper Dresses

This was one memorable shoot...and the photos/wardrobe featured in this post were only a part of it...so many talented people worked very hard to mutually pull off something (hopefully) special. Many of you have asked me who the shoot was for and why it took place. Interesting story:

Julie Strating and I started casually chatting at a Christmas Party for our friends at StoryTelling Pictures...and the next thing you know we agreed to collaborate on a major fashion shoot to benefit our mutual portfolios. I'll give you the whole back story of how (and why) this came to be with my next post.

These amazing paper dresses were designed and created by fashion designer/artist Claudia Petrelli. Claudia is from Grand Rapids...by way of Bucharest, Romania. Thank you, Claudia!

Here's the rest of the hard working crew...amazing job by everyone.

Julie Strating: Make-up Artist
Erin Brown: Hair Stylist
Natasha Ohlman: Fashion and Set Stylist

Models:
Jon "JC" Cunningham: Male Model
Alexandra Rush: Female Model (of Ford Models in New York City)
Christine Praniewicz: Female Model (of Matthew Agency of Grand Rapids)

Brian Kelly: Photographer

Josh Tyron: Lead Assistant

Elizabeth Mikrut: Producer/2nd Assistant

Location: Wealthy Theater - Grand Rapids, Michigan (thank you, Erin for all your help!)

A big thanks to my crew of Josh and Liz...you always have my back...and the sandwiches.

One more blog post about this shoot coming later...more photos too!

Fashion Shoot Sneak Preview

I'll be blogging in detail about this major fashion shoot very soon...and putting up lots of images on my portfolio site.

I had a blast and was fortunate to work with extremely talented and hard working people.

In the meantime I couldn't resist sharing a sneak peek!

High Fashion and the Homeless - Heartside

On Wednesday I shot a fashion show at Rockwell & Republic; an uber hot restaurant/bar in the Heartside neighborhood of Grand Rapids. Heartside has seen tremendous revitalization over the last 3 years or so...and it's long been the base for many of the city's homeless shelters and food kitchens.

The obvious social contrasts of an event like this are interesting...and in between shooting models on the sidewalk in expensive clothing I chatted with the guy above...not really because I wanted to...but because he kept asking me for money.

I nearly always refuse panhandlers based on one simple principle; creativity. Their plea is typically based on needing a dollar (or two) to purchase a sandwich...and 9 times out of 10 we are both standing within a block of a food kitchen giving out 3 full squares a day. So I assume they aren't exactly being forthright with their request.

This guy asked me to take his picture several times...and each of his invitations stated that it was an opportunity to photograph "the real mother f-ing deal."

Hard to pass up...

Emma's Photos

I haven't photographed many senior portraits over my career. This has been more or less by design. I know quite well that any specialty area within photography requires your full attention...and I've mostly stuck to my established niches (architecture, advertising, editorial, fine art).

But recently I had the pleasure of photographing Emma. Her father is a good client of mine (I shoot buildings for him) and they asked if I might consider doing some outside the box shooting for Emma's senior portraits...the idea of which I found very intriguing.

Neither of us were interested in creating typical senior portraits...and we agreed we liked the idea of approaching it like a fashion shoot. Here's a sampling...Emma was great and we had a BLAST:

Fashion Shoot - S.D. Drake & Company

Today I worked with Steve and Margeaux Drake. They've recently launched a men's custom clothing business and I must say the quality of the clothing I photographed was unbelievable.

It's no surprise, Margeaux is a top interior designer.  I've shot a lot wonderful projects for her over the last few years. You can see a lot of her work (and mine) here on her web site.

Here are some quick favorites from today.